EFF calls off Clicks protests
During the mid-week meeting, the EFF agreed to end protests and, in return, Clicks will sponsor bursaries to five black pharmaceutical students
REPRESENTATIVES from the EFF and Clicks reached an agreement on Wednesday after a controversial hair product advert prompted mass protests across the country.
Unilever, Clicks, and TRESemmé all came under fire last week after an online TRESemmé advert referred to black hair as ‘dry and damaged’ and white hair as ‘normal’.
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In response to the advert, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) embarked on protest action across the country, picketing outside Clicks stores, demanding they remain closed for a week.
The political party’s KZN secretary, Sifiso Mthethwa, told the ZO that the advert undermined the black majority of South Africans. Mthethwa was one of the members who shut down Clicks stores around King Cetshwayo during the week.
While there were no incidents of looting at the local stores, police reported that EFF members prevented some shoppers from entering other stores at shopping centres in Richards Bay and Empangeni.
During the mid-week meeting, the EFF agreed to end protests and, in return, Clicks will sponsor bursaries to five black pharmaceutical students, and donate a minimum of R50 000 worth of sanitary pads, sanitisers, and masks to residents in informal settlements.
Since the release of the advert, Clicks has removed TRESemmé products from their shelves, with Dis-chem, Makro, Pick n Pay and Checkers following suit.
Clicks Group CEO Vikesh Ramsunder, admitted that they ‘got it all wrong’ with the controversial advert.
‘I am deeply disappointed that we allowed insensitive and offensive images to be published on our website,’ he said. ‘I apologise unreservedly for the hurt and anger these images have caused.
‘And, whilst the images and content were provided to us by our supplier TRESemmé, this does not absolve us from blame.’
